Red Meat Intake Ups Breast Cancer Risk

A recent study out of Harvard reported that premenopausal women who eat more that 1.5 servings of red meat per day may double their risk of breast cancer compared to those who consume fewer than three servings of red meat per week.

The research looked at the effects of red meat intake on the incidence of breast cancer among the 90,659 premenopausal women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study. Participants were given food frequency questionnaires in 1991, 1995 and 1999, and then monitored until 2003.

Each year, more than 1 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer, with the highest incidences in the U.S. and the Netherlands. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 13 percent of American women will develop breast cancer during their lives.

The findings of the Harvard study are bad news for strict "meat and potatoes" types, but the good news is, among the many risk factors for breast cancer, diet is one factor that can be modified easily. Supplementing red meat with lean poultry and plant-based proteins, such as whole grains and legumes, may be an adjustment, but your health is well worth the effort!